by Nancy Armour, USA TODAY Sports

by Nancy Armour, USA TODAY Sports

For almost three hours, Tony Stewart could pretend everything was normal.

He was greeted by raucous cheers during driver introductions, and embraced â?? literally â?? before the Oral-B USA 500. He worked his way up to fourth with a strong start, and a win that would get him into the Chase didn't seem so far-fetched.

But a collision with Kyle Busch in the 122nd lap doomed his night, and he was out of the race 50 laps later.

"Sorry guys," Stewart told his crew. "You deserved better than this."

He surely wanted more, too, if for no other reason than to be able to focus on something other than the nightmare his life has become.

Sure, there is another race in Richmond next weekend, Stewart's last chance to qualify for the Chase. But that's six days away and in the quiet away from the track, Stewart is sure to be consumed by thoughts of Kevin Ward Jr.

Ward was killed when he was clipped by Stewart's car during an Aug. 9 sprint car race.

Police still are investigating the crash, saying Friday it will be at least two more weeks before they are done. No matter the outcome, Stewart's life will never be the same.

"This is something that will definitely affect my life forever," Stewart said Friday in his only public remarks since the crash.

By racing in Atlanta, Stewart hoped to reclaim some semblance of normalcy.

Racing is more than a sport or a job to Stewart. It's his life. It's what he loves. It's all he knows. If he can find comfort anywhere, it's on the track.

Though he appeared subdued during introductions, the faintest of smiles on his face, he seemed heartened by the warm response. Once the race began, he immediately began weaving through traffic to make a run at the lead.

Then Busch's car got loose on a restart, forcing Stewart into the wall. There was heavy damage to the right side of Stewart's No. 14 Chevrolet, and his suspension was damaged.

His crew tried to repair the car during several pit stops, but Stewart's right front tire blew on the 172nd lap and he hit the wall again. Stewart drove straight to the garage, where crew chief Chad Johnston decided the car was too badly damaged.

Stewart declined a garage interview. But Johnston said they were hoping for a longer night.

"I wish we could have had a better effort and a better finish for him," Johnston said. "We'll move onto Richmond and see if we can get it done there."

Or at least stay on the track longer and keep the horrors of real life at bay.